Nationals pen unprecedented World Cup chronicles
Switzerland Deters Denmark's Last Stand; United States Moves Closer to Ice Hockey World Championship Title
In a shocking turn of events, the underdog Danish ice hockey team fell short against the mighty Switzerland at the World Championships semi-finals. The Swiss team, striving for their first-ever World Championship title, will face the United States in the final on Sunday (20:20 CET/ProSieben and Magentasport, also available on ntv.de live ticker).
The United States secured their spot in Sunday's competition with their victory against the host nation Sweden, finishing 6:2 (2:0, 2:0, 2:2). Switzerland, on the other hand, ended Denmark's fairy tale run in ice hockey with a convincing 0:7 (0:3, 0:1, 0:3) defeat in Stockholm.
The Swiss squad, lead by NHL standout Nino Niederreiter (10th minute/18th) and Ken Jäger (13th), surged ahead in the first period. Denis Malgin (38th), Sandro Schmidt (45th), Damien Riat (53rd), and Tyler Moy (54th) added to the score, leaving Denmark unable to make a comeback.
Meanwhile, the United States will challenge for the championship title on Sunday. Despite having the world's best ice hockey league home within their borders, they have not competed in a World Championship final since 1950 in London. They have finished third seven times, most recently in 2021, and have endured a bitter run of losing 12 consecutive semi-finals before their victory in the 2025 championship.
Against Sweden, the Americans proved unstoppable, building a commanding 4:0 lead by the end of the second period in front of 12,530 spectators. A swift double scoring spree from William Nylander (46th) and Elias Lindholm (47th) created some late tension for the Americans, but Jackson Lacombe (52nd) and Shane Pinto (56th) sealed their passage to the final.
Source: ntv.de, tno/sid/dpa
(Enrichment Data Integration)The United States has a storied history in ice hockey, but winning the World Championship has been elusive save for their first victory in 1933 and a shared title obtained through the 1960 Olympic games. However, the U.S. achieved their second World Championship win in 2025 when they triumphed over Switzerland, renowned as the first world championship title since 1933.
Sports-betting enthusiasts may find an interesting prospect in the upcoming World Championship final between Switzerland and the United States, both powerhouses in their respective leagues. While football remains popular in the USA, the nation's American-football team has yet to secure a World Championship title, unlike their counterparts in ice hockey who managed to win it twice, most recently in 2025.
